Solid powdery cosmetics formulated by mixing a fine powder of 0.1 to 10 μm in average particle size with an oil-based constituent, etc., have been used in recent years, and although these cosmetics are excellent in terms of how they spread smoothly and adhere to the skin when applied and keep the skin feeling moisturized, their excessively high adhesion property to the skin means the powder attaches precisely along the contours of the skin, thus emphasizing unwanted unevenness of the skin created by lines and pores (refer to Patent Literature 1).
On the other hand, many cosmetic brushes having a convex surface at their tip, designed for use with conventional solid powdery cosmetics of large average particles sizes, are used to apply the aforementioned fine solid powdery cosmetics to the face. Such solid powdery cosmetic of fine average particle size is taken from its container onto such cosmetic brush and then applied to the skin roughly evenly using the brush. When the fine solid powdery cosmetic is taken onto the brush from its container, however, the convex surface at the brush tip prevents the cosmetic from being taken roughly evenly onto the brush tip surface, and consequently the cosmetic is applied to the face in a condition where it has been taken only onto the convex part of the brush. As a result, a large amount of cosmetic is applied in the area where the cosmetic is applied first and smaller amounts are applied in other areas, and since the amount of cosmetic applied varies from one area to another across the face, mottled appearance (thickness differences) may result.
Also when the cosmetic is taken from the container onto the brush, moving the brush back and forth while pressing it against the cosmetic in order to transfer the cosmetic to the brush tends to cause the cosmetic in the convex part to scatter due to the reactive force to this pressure, because the convex part is constituted by closely packed bristle materials and is thus very rigid.
In the meantime, there is a growing interest among users in recreating professionally made-up looks, and a greater need for simple ways to achieve finishes of professional makeup artists, but when the aforementioned cosmetic brush is used for makeup, the cosmetic is applied flatly and unevenly, which leads to problems such as a flat look because areas that should be highlighted do not appear much different from other areas that need not be highlighted, and the face looking heavily made up or powdery. One way to solve these problems is to apply a cosmetic constituted by a sheet-like powder of approx. 50 μm in average particle size, using a cosmetic brush made of brush bristles whose tip has a roughly spherical shape, by moving the brush in one direction while turning it little by little to apply the cosmetic using the resilience of the brush bristles (refer to Patent Literature 3).
In light of the above, a cosmetic applicator is available which comprises a handle part and a brush part made of bristle materials planted in the handle part and which is used to apply a powdery cosmetic containing a fine powder, wherein the bristle materials of the brush part extend upward from the handle part and their tips form an outer periphery having a horizontal shape relative to the handle part, while gradually concaving from the outer periphery toward the center axis of the brush part; however, such cosmetic applicator has a constant bristle material density at the center axis of the brush part and along the outer periphery, and therefore as the cosmetic applicator is used over time, the powdery cosmetic moves to and collects at the center axis of the brush and this part where the cosmetic collects may harden. This may reduce the otherwise good feeling of use (refer to Patent Literature 4).